send the magic forward, magically binding the werewolf’s hands together. Lucas lets go, dropping him to the ground. The werewolf brings his bound hands to his throat, rubbing his neck where Lucas had gripped him as he gasps for air.
“I’m sorry, my love,” Lucas tells me, stepping back and wrapping his arm around my waist. “I’m sorry this fucking cocksucking werewolf ruined our night. But don’t worry.” He flashes his fangs at the were. “I’ll make sure he pays for it.” Lucas kisses my forehead and the werewolf gets up, trying to make a desperate run for it.
Freya shadows forward and knocks him back to the ground.
“I wouldn’t try that if I were you.” I turn away from Lucas and stare down the werewolf. “If you haven’t noticed, you’re outnumbered, six to one.”
There werewolf looks at me, Lucas, my three familiars, and then Scarlet. Yes, I included her in my count. She might not look menacing now, but just you wait…
“Now, answer the question. What are you doing in our yard?”
The werewolf scurries back, dirt and leaves rubbing against his bare body, and his eyes fill with fear.
“You’re a witch,” he starts, voice shaking. “With a vampire.”
I turn my gaze away from him and look at Lucas with a smile. “Talk about a power couple, right?”
Lucas speeds forward, getting down and in the werewolf’s face. “I haven’t had were-blood in a while. Don’t tempt me tonight,” he threatens. “Tell us what you are doing in the woods.” Unlike witches, werewolves and shapeshifters can fall prey to a vampire’s powers. Only the alpha and his immediate family have the ability to resist being held spellbound.
And this werewolf is clearly not the alpha.
“I was sent here,” the werewolf answers.
“By who?” Lucas asks, straightening up now that he has the guy spellbound.
“My pack master.”
“Why?”
“To see if the rumors were true,” he says, aware that he’s spilling all the secrets.
“What rumors?”
“The Ley line is protected by witches.”
I toss my head back. “Not this again.” Since the discovery of the line, my coven has protected it. We’ve tapped into its power from time to time but have always used it responsibly since we know the consequences firsthand. The Ley line is not a force to be reckoned with. “What do you want with the Ley line?” I ask, crouching down to Lucas. The werewolf before me is naked, as one would expect after shifting from wolf to human.
Still…it’s kinda weird.
“Let me guess,” I go on, unable to help myself. “Power?”
“Yes. Our numbers have dwindled, and we want to raise back up in the ranks.”
“Well, you’re going to have to find it elsewhere,” I tell him and stand back up. “Tell your pack master to get the hell out of dodge before…before…fuck…I can’t remember how the rest of the saying goes.” I roll my eyes and yawn, so fucking annoyed that my perfect romantic night by the fire got interrupted. “My coven doesn’t have any issue with werewolves. Go now, before we have a problem.”
“Okay,” the werewolf says, agreeing to anything since he’s under Lucas’s hold. “Wait…I…we…can’t.” He blinks several times, wrestling with what he wants to say—or doesn’t want to say—and what he’s being compelled to tell us.
“Because she…she…wants to be here,” the werewolf goes on, wincing as the words spill out of his mouth.
“Your pack master?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, cool! The alpha is a chick,” I say, and Lucas turns, looking at me incredulously. “What?” I ask with a shrug. “That’s the first time I’ve heard of a female leading a pack. It’s very progressive. Which makes me think maybe we could talk.” I look at the werewolf. “Your pack, my coven…we can come to some sort of agreement. Because, I’m sorry, but Thorne Hill is ours. Though that doesn’t mean we can’t come up with some sort of peaceful arrangement.”
“She says witches are dirty, devil-worshipping whores,” he says almost apologetically.
I blink. “Well, I wasn’t expecting that.” Letting out a heavy sign, I shake my head. “If that's how she wants to be, then you’re going to go and give her a message.”
“That won’t do any good,” the wolf goes on, eyes glossing over even more.
“Why?” Lucas asks.
The wolf swallows, trying to keep the words from coming out.
Lucas leans in. “Tell us why.”
“She’s…she’s…already decided we want a war against the witches.”
I ball my fingers into fists, and all the anger I was feeling earlier wells up inside of me. Werewolves raging war on us is the last fucking thing we need. I’m not worried about being beaten,